Area Doctors Keep an Eye on the Heart's Electrical System

Adventist HealthSep 16, 2015 NW Regional Heart

In the field of electronics, several terms come to mind, such as amperes, capacitors, currents, diodes and ohms.

However, for cardiac surgeons, a different kind of electrical system is in play. Electrophysiology is one of the fasted growing fields in cardiac care, and at Northwest Regional Heart and Vascular (Adventist Medical Center in Portland), Dr. Fawaz Alhumaid and colleagues are hard at work analyzing the heart’s rhythm and electrical conduction system.

Alhumaid is the director of arrhythmia services at the medical center and also serves as adjunct assistant professor of medicine at Oregon Health and Science University. His interest in the field started early in his studies.

“I became interested in the heart in my second year of medical school, when I learned the basics of the heart’s electrical system,” Alhumaid said. “I found the complexity of this system to be fascinating as a medical student and it quickly became my favorite topic. Fifteen years later, I still feel the same way, and I feel very lucky to work in an area that brings me great joy.”